It didn’t take much convincing to go visit my crafty pals at Wholly Craft! once I heard “Crafty Superstar” Grace Dobush was giving a lecture on the business basics of crafting. Just a few bottles of pop, some salty snacks and a charged iPod were all I needed to head south on I-75 last weekend.
Olivia Bratich’s Wholly Craft! is a crafty boutique in Columbus and frequently holds lectures and workshops for area crafters. I wasn’t surprised to see the back of the store packed and intently focused on Grace’s lecture when I walked in (late of course- traffic on Michigan freeways, of course). Grace was dishing out her know-how courtesy of her book, “Crafty Superstar.” I was really impressed with the variety of questions the group asked, from how to apply to a craft fair to where you find the correct tax forms come April (for you Buckeyes, it sounds like the Ohio state web site has great resources for small biz owners).
Some of my favorite questions:
- “Is it ok to ask for feedback if you get rejected from a craft fair?”
- “How do I found out what the next ‘hot’ craft is going to be to sell?”
- “Can you balance your crafting life with your personal life?”
Grace was a wealth of information and a great source of inspiration. Check out this quote! “Indie crafting is about you making things you want to share with others.” Dang!
What I love about being a crafter is that I can go to any city, put a call out for crafty kids and find some folks to hang out with in just a matter of a few tweets. I did a little Ohio-themed shopping (I tell ya, Ohio loves their state shape!). After that, Grace, Olivia and I all headed out to lunch and talked for hours. It was an official nerd-out craft power lunch and not at all suprising for a couple of crafters.
I’m very lucky to live in the Michigan where I’ve got Illinois, Indiana and Ohio crafters all within a matter of hours from me. I highly recommend checking out your crafty neighbors, whether it be somewhere else in your home state or maybe the state right next to you (south Florida residents, that could be a little tricky…).
More Ohio photos can be found here.
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